I thought sharing an article I recently wrote for "Mobile Marketer" on tips for holiday mobile marketing planning would be a great way to kick-off the Thanksgiving/shopping holiday weekend.

Here it is:

Mobile Marketer recently reported that companies’ holiday mobile marketing budgets are expected to be around $50,000 to $250,000 this year. And with Labor Day behind us, the holiday shopping season is quickly creeping up. This means if you are not getting your mobile plans together, you are already behind.

We are beyond needing to debate why brands need to include mobile in holiday marketing and advertising plans.

We know there are around 275 million American mobile phone subscribers and that globally there are two times as many users of SMS than there are active users of email.

We also know SMS messages are typically read within 15 minutes and that we cannot say the same about email or direct mailers.

Mobile is uniquely suited to retail because as a medium it is inherently personal, precise and customized.

Texts about super-exclusive sales at stores customers care about are hugely effective messages.

For all of these reasons brands are committing real budgets to mobile.

So it is time to put plans in place to get the biggest bang for your buck from mobile this holiday season. After all, the infamous Black Friday is less than seven weeks away.

To fully take advantage of mobile, here are my recommended initiatives to get in place for this holiday season.

Mobile subscriptions
Used in the same way as an email or direct mail list, mobile subscriptions also come with the added bonus of connecting brands to mobile phones – which we all know people take with them everywhere they go.

By incorporating location and demographic data, and targeting customers based on purchase preferences and the nearest store or sales of interest, mobile messaging is an extremely powerful tool.

Store locator
Include a store locator option in your mobile plan.

Allow customers to text into your keyword with ZIP code information to receive a text back with the address for the nearest store. This helps in building that highly sought after mobile subscriber list and creates a new way for shoppers to find the nearest store.

You can even include a localized offer or coupon with each store address.

Mobile coupons
Consumers always identify with special offers and bargains.

With mobile coupons, retailers can place a sign in the Black Friday or holiday shopping lines telling customers to text in join the mobile subscriber list to receive special discounts or to sign up for in-store sweepstakes.

Brands can then engage with those consumers year-round. It is estimated mobile coupons enjoy a 5 percent to 15 percent conversion rate, as compared to less than 1 percent for print coupons – so there is truly no better way to deliver coupons.

Interactive two-way messaging
Two-way messaging can help retailers extend their brands and communicate with consumers directly. This encourages customer loyalty and activity between brands and customers.

For Black Friday and the holidays, retailers could invite customer feedback on their holiday shopping experiences and figure out what the consumer would like to see moving forward with the holiday season and next year.

This is also helpful year-round with consumers getting in contact with stores about hours and other questions.

Optimized email marketing
Add a mobile call-to-action to all email marketing.

If you are sending an email blast for a special holiday shopping event to customers, include a place that they can text in to RSVP so you can send a reminder text the day before.

Mobile is a great way to achieve better ROI from your email plans, so always include a mobile call-to-action asking customers to text in for additional promotions and store information as well.

The more channels you can reach customers on, the more potential business you can do with them.

Location-based services
Location-based services is a powerful tool and provides brands with extremely targeted marketing messages that can really improve brand interactions.

Use this location information to offer much more targeted rewards and offers to entice customers into the stores.

AT THE END of the day, no matter what your mobile initiatives, it is important to make your plans easy to find and visible.

This means prominently displaying your short code on all marketing materials, advertising circulars, point-of-sale displays, email and the Web. And do not forget to make sure all of your messaging is engaging and relevant to consumers and their shopping habits.

If you follow these tips and get these initiatives in place, you are sure to have a happy holiday season.

Please click here to read, "Holiday mobile marketing budgets range from $50K-$250K: exec."